Game table



June E6, E942. C. M. DEAN 2,286,901

GAME TABLE y Filed Feb. 23. 1940 Flog. /20

INVENTOR. CARLETON MDEAN ATTORNEYS Patented June 16, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE Application February 23, 1940, Serial No. 320,342

4 Claims.

games' there are several characteristics which' must be present in orderrthat they may be successfully used. These characteristics include a true plane surface which will not warp, rigid and accurate construction, and sufficient weight .Y

to prevent their being easily moved.

Heretofore, in order to obtain such characteristics, such tables have been constructed of massive wood members of considerable size and weight, with tops consisting of slabs of stone, such as slate, marble and the like. Such construction is expensive, cumbersome, and, when it becomes necessary to move them, the services of an expert workman are required to dismantle and reassemble them.

Among the objects o1` the present invention is to overcome these and other objections, and to produce a table that has the desired characteristics, but which shall be less expensive, more attractive in appearance, and more portable than the present known tables.

Another object is such a table of substantially all-metal construction, which may be provided with a minimum of special equipment, using mainly standard machines for the purpose.

Still other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a table constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end View thereof with a part in section.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show details of-construction.

Figure 6 is an enlarged partial vertical section of the table top showing the construction thereof, and

Figure '7 is a section through one of the side or end rails.

In making a table according to the present invention, there are rst produced a number of shallow sheet metal trays with vertical walls, either by drawing or turning up the edges.

The bottoms of the trays are then provided 50 with a multiplicity of short sharp tongues punched out and extending in the opposite direction to the tray side walls. It is preferred to punch such tongues so that in alternate rows their planes are at right angles.

are indicated at Ill, their side walls at II and the tongues at I2.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the trays may be of such length as to equal the width of the table top or shorter as at Illa.

The trays so prepared have their side walls welded together, a sufiicient number to equal the size of the table top being thus xed together. When this has been done, a sheet of linoleum I5 or similar material is laid upon a suitable, accurate, flat surface, covered liberally with a suitable solidifying cement I6, and the tray assembly pressed thereon, with the tongues I2 pointing down, with sufficient pressure to force the tongues I2 into the linoleum or other material and force some of the cement out through the openings I2a left when punching out the tongues.

Either before or after applying the linoleum, but preferably before, strips of somewhat heavier metal 20 are xed around the periphery of the tray assembly preferably by welding to the outer flanges II and is then made integral by welding the strips at the corners.

After so producing thel side wall and bed assembly, the side walls 2 I, which may be of wood, may be bolted on or xed in place upon the walls 20 by means of suitable screws, the cushions 22 and cloth covering 23 applied.

The completed table top is preferably supported upon a pair of sheet metal fabricated pedestals 30, each enclosing a box-like space 3| located at the longitudinal center line of the table and intended to receive sand or other inexpensive weighting material indicated at 32.

It is preferred to make the pedestals of suflicient length. to extend substantially the width of the table and of such width that the area of the two is equal to a large part of the area of the table.

It should be noted that in applying the linoleum to the tray assembly, any irregularity in the metal surface will be compensated for by the ce- 5 ment, so that the playing bed will be as accurately plane as the plate used in making the application. Further, by using an excess of cement to fix the linoleum to the perforated plate, some will be forced up into the openings to produce an interlock in addition to its adherence to the two materials and the openings in the trays preclude the trapping of air and consequent uncemented spots. The xed together tray walls and the surrounding side wall member 20 produce great These trays rigidity in the table top assembly.

Now having described the invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, what is claimed 1. A game table having a top portion consisting of a plurality of inverted sheet metal trays having their side walls xed together to provide stifening ribs and having a plurality of tongues, projecting upwardly from their bottom walls, a continuous sheet of surfacing material into which said tongues have been caused to penetrate, and cementitious material between said trays and sheet for causing adherence of the latter to the trays.

2. A game table having a top portion consisting of a plurality of inverted sheet metal trays having their side walls fixed together to provide stiening ribs and having a plurality of tongues, projecting upwardly from their bottom walls, a peripherally arranged metal strip fixed to Ythe outermost side walls of the tray assembly and of sunicient width to extend above the plane of the bottoms of said trays, a continuous sheet of surfacing material into which said tongues have been caused to penetrate, and cementitious material between said trays and sheet for causing adherence of the latter to the trays.

3. A game table having a top portion consisting of a plurality of inverted sheet metal trays having their side walls iixed together to provide stiiening ribs and having a plurality of tongues projecting upwardly from their bottom walls, a continuous sheet of surfacing material into which said tongues have been caused to penetrate, and cementitious material between said trays and sheet for causing adherence of the latter to the trays, and supporting means for said top portion including box-like enclosures having weighting material therein.

4. A game table having a top portion consisting of a plurality of inverted sheet metal trays having their side walls fixed together to provide stiffening ribs and having a plurality of tongues, projecting upwardly from their bottom walls, a peripherally arranged metal strip fixed to the outermost side walls of the tray assembly and of suicient width to extend above the plane cf the bottoms of said trays, a continuous sheet of surfacing material into which said tongues have been caused to penetrate, and cementitious material between said trays and sheet for causing adherence of the latter to the trays, supporting means for said top portion including box-like enclosures having weighting material therein.

CARLETON M. DEAN. 

